Motor-starting switch



H. CHRTSTTANSEN.

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H. CHRISTIANSEN.

MOTOR STARTING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. I9I9.

*11,402,342' l Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

I 2 sIIEEIs-SHEEI 2,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

HANS CHNISTIANSEN, oF BRooxLINE, MAssAcHUsETTs,'AssIGNOR loir ONE-HALF To BERTHA K. JOHNSON, or WAVEBLEY, MASSACHUSETTS.

MQTOILSTARTIN G SWITCH.

vSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

' Application led September 23, 1919. .Serial No. 325,655.

To all 'whom t mayy concern.'

Be it known that I, HANS CHRrs'rIANsEN, a citizen of the United lStates, residing .at Brookline, in thecounty .of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-Starting Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesy to switches employed to start relatively small alternating current motors of approximately seven and one-half horse power or' less, and it has for its chief object to provide a switch having fuses which are of suitable capacity for use with current of the ordinary voltage used when the motor is running normally, al-

l though inadequate forthe increased or maximum current which is desirable @in starting the motor, the switch having short circuiting means adapted to protect the fuses against burning out under the overload resulting 'from ythe difference between the nor-A mal and the maximum current. Infother words, the chief object of the invention is to enable a motor-starting switch Ito be run with relatively light fuses without seriously endangering the fuses when 4a current of maximum voltage is temporarily employed in starting thev motor. Another object of the invention is to provide a switch having improved means whereby the circuit is automatically broken in the event of the burm ing out of a fuse.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now vproceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a front view of the switch, with the casing covers removed, the solenoid being shown in section.

yFigurel2 is an. edge view, showing the casing in section and the enclosed parts in elevation. 1 l f Figure 3 is a view similar to a portion of VFigurel, parts shown by Figure 1 being removed.

elevations, showing a portion of the fixed base within the casing, and portions of the switch mechanism associated therewith.

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 6. v Figures 10 and 1l are edge views, showingthe lower portions of the fixed base and the fixed supporting bar hereinafter described, togetherv withparts of the switch mechanism in different adjustments.

Figure 12 is a section on line 12-12 of Fi ure 6. f f

igure 13 is a diagrammatic view, showing the members of one of the groups of contact terminals or clips.

The same reference `characters indicate the same parts in all of the iigures.

In the drawings: Y s

2O represents a switch casing, of oblong form, and attached to ahsuitablesupporty with its major axis in a vertical position, to permit downward movement, by gravity, of the movable contact terminals or clips hereinafter described. A primary door 21,

on hinges 22, closes the front of the casing, 1 1f and has an opening closed by a secondary door 23, connected with the primaryl door by hinges 24. The secondary-door being recessed. or'offset, to receive thejusual fuses 35 projecting through the primary door.

opening, 'as shownby Figure 2.

To the back of the casing 20 is iixed an oblong, vertical base 26, of any suitable insulating material. To the base arefixed,

by screws or bolts 27 (Figure 2), outwardly-l projecting brackets 28 adapted to guide the carrierk bars hereinafter described, and to hold a fixed, vertical, supporting bar 29, of insulating material, which is fixed tothe brackets Vby screws 30.

The switch mechanism includes a plurality l of groups of contact terminals or clips, each group `being composedof the members shown diagrammatically by Figure 13, in which 31, 31 represent twofixed innerclips, atj tached to the base 26; 32, 32 represent'two fixed outer clips, attached to thek supporting bar 29. The inner yclips 31 areinsulated from each other, and one ofsaidchps 1s electricallyconnected with agenerator33- Y (Figure 13), the other with a motor 34. The outer clips 32 are electrically connected with each other through a fuse 35 supported by spring cli s or conducting arms 36 atg tached to the, ar 29.

i Y cally moyable carrier, preferably composed o fa pair of elongated vertical slides or As best-shown by Figure 10, the iixed clips 31 and 32' are oppositely .inclinedVV .relatively to a vertical line midway between the'clips, andare separated from each other by f a tapering 1 space, the clips f converging from their attached lower ends to their free upper ends. rIhis arrangement of the iixed clips, and thecorresponding arrangement of "the primary and secondary movable clips,

are important for reasonswhich Ywill appear. 38, 38 representy two inclined, movable,

' primary, inner clips, and 39, 39 two inclined,

lmovable,primary, outer clips, said clips being connected by conductingstrips 40. V*The said movable primary clips are iixedv to a vverti bars 41, 41,?anda cross barf42 xed to said slides, the 'clipconnecting strips40Y being fixed to said cross bar. The slides yor'carrier bars 41 are spaced'apart, and between them is located a single vertical slide yor carrier bar 43, to which is .fixed across bar 44. v

45, 145 represent two inclined, movable, secondary, inner clips, and 46, 46 represent two inclined, movable, secondary, outer clips,

the clips and46being electrically connected by conductinglstrips .'47, and said. con- ;Cl'ucting strips Vbeing connected` by another conducting strip 48. The secondarylclips and conducting strips are ixed to the carrier cross barl 44.V The carrier bars 41', 41 and 43 are guided inV vertical paths by the 'brackets`28, and by'guiderolls 49 journalled in said brackets. The-movable clips 38 and'39A are called the primary clips, and the-.mov-

f ableY clips 45 and 46 the secondary clips, only for convenience in distinguishing one set oi movable Iclips Vfrom the other. The primary vand secondary Vclips are" inclined like the. fixed clips 31 and 32, and they are movable `by the respective" carriers invertical paths, l the arrangement being such that the primary Y movable clips V38 and 39-may Ybe raisedv into Contact with the ixed clips 31 and 32, and

' the secondary movable clips 45 and '46 VmayV V be raised into` contact 'with the primary clips,

all as js'hown byFi-gures 2 and V4.V .@Vhen the clips are vthus relatively',positioned, the pri-4 mary clips and the connectingstrips 40`con'- V duct current between the fixed clips 311 and f32'a'nd the secondaryrclips, and the 'connectf Y ing strips "475 and48 constitute a short-cir- Vciiiting'connectionbetween the pairs or' primary clips.

' IhaveV `tlius farfconlined the description to Y a single group'l of clips, and it will be under- "stood that' the switclishown by the drawings v'jis suitablefor a three Ypb as'elmotor, and has three groups of clips, eachVVV accompanied by The 'object' ofthe shortfcircluiting,connecl tions included -in the groups fof clipsiis -to protectlthe fnse'sfduring thestart-ing; of the] motor, the clips being assembledfas 'shown ableiclips, I `provide the means. next 'de-V scribed. 50 represents a hand lever, tulcrumed at 51 inthe casing. rEhe outer arm of the lever projects from the casing, fand hasa handle 52. The inner arm is connected by a link 53 with the lower end of the bar 43 of the secondary clip carrier. `When the.

outer armfof tlie'hand lever .is depressed, Vthe carrier bars 41 and the primary and second- Yary movable clips to the position 'shown by Figures 2 and 4, the full volume of current.

being thus supplied to start the motor.

The primary `clips are vlocked in their `raised c'ircuit-closingV position by means in cliiding a trip lever 55, which is pivoted Yat Ainner arm is raised and raise'stlie bar43,fthe

576 to the xed supporting bar 29', and vhas longerouter armproyecting from the casing,

and a `hooked', shorter arm 57 The trip lever .55 isconnected with'th'e hand ylever 50 .by a llink 58, pivoted at 59to the hand lever,

and having a slot 60, receiving a pin161onf the trip lever 55. Fixed to across barrattached to thecarrier bars 41, 41, isafstud 63. VVlient-he hand lever 50ris depressecLfas lshown by Figures 1 and 3, 'theI lower end of the slot-60 strikes the .pin 61, and swings the trip lever '55 so that its liookedarm 57 AengagesV the stud .63 and locks the carrier .bars V41, 41and the' primary Vclips in their raised position. The' secondary clips jmay Vnew Vbe shown by Figure 11, by raising the Vouter arm of the hand lever 50, .the slotOin the link 58 permitting this movement withoutY moving the trip lever,so that the primary ,separated from .the Llocked primary clips, ask

clips remain in their raised position.I-t is obvious that the tril lever may be manually .depressedto brea 55, and thus permit the descent by gravity or" the primary clips and theircarrierv tothe position shown by Figure 10, in--caseja fuse burns out, I provide aV solenoid, composed of a coil 65, having'afif'ertical axis, and-anarmature 66, movable in a vertical-.path into jects, the coil of the solenoid .being electrically connected, as shown by Figures .1: and

v13, Ywithtwo adjacent ixed clips 32,132.-

`When a fuse burns out, the armature :6'6'is the circuit.` To'c'ause Y the automatic displacement-of the trip lever iis released,'and` falls by gravity Vwith sufficient" 1 forceV to depress the outer 'arm ,of thel trip leverthus disengaging 'the hooked armrr? mary 'clips andtheir carrierto-.dnopffand roi'nth'e-'stud 63', and permitting-thefpri- Y which the outer arnixof the trip lever Y55 pro-VV break the cricuit. To prevent accidental downward movement ot the armature 6G, I provide a keeper 68, composed of au angular metal strip, loosely inserted in the upper end of the coil, and contacting with the upper end ot the armature when the latter is in ,its normal position, the ends oit the 1Keeper bearing looselyon a support at the upper end oi' the armature and retaining` the latter in place while the. solenoid is energized.

To cushion the fall of the carrier` bars, .I provide a yielding' buffer, as shown by Figures`6 and l0, composed ot a cylinder' 7B, having a plunger 79, supported by a spring 80, and provided with an elastic rubber head 81. The cylinder is a part 01"' a bracket attached at 82 to the base 26, the head SlV being in the path of one of the carrier bars el and arranged to yieldingly arrest the downward movement of said bar.

The clips, inclined as shown, permit adequate contactV when the movable clips arc raised, without binding pressure on the movable clips, so that they are separable from each other and from the fixed clips without having to overcome frictional resistance, so that the light force exerted by the solenoid armature in falling is sufficient to break the circuit.

I have hereinafter referred to the carrier for the primary clips as the primary carrier, and to the carrier for the secondary clips as the secondary carrier.

To permit free endwise movement of the carrier bars without binding on each other, I provide said bars with slots 85, receiving fixed studs 86 on the brackets 28, as shown by Figure 6.

I claim:

l. A motor-starting switch, comprising a plurality of groups of contact clips, each group including two pairs of spaced-apart fixed clips, a fuse connecting a member of each pair with a member of the other pair`r two pairs of primary movable clips adapted to serially connect the fixed clips, a shortcircuiting connection including two pairs of secondary movable clips and adapted to serially connect the primary clips, and mechanism for moving said primary clips and short-circuiting connection to and Jfrom their operative positions.l

2. A motor-starting switch, comprising a plurality of groups of contact clips, each Vgroup including two pairs of spaced-apart fixed clips, a fuse connecting a member of each pair with a member of the other pair, two pairs of primary movable clips adapted to serially connect the fixed clips, a shortcircuiting connection including two pairs of secondary movable clips and adapted to serially connect the primary clips, carriers for said primary clips and short-circuiting connection, and manually operable meansy tor moving said carriers.

3. A motor-starting switch, comprising a plurality of groups of contact clips, each group including two pairs of spaced-apart fixed clips, a fuse connecting a member of each pair with a member of the other pair, two pairs of primary movable clips adapted to serially connect the fixed clips, a shortcircuiting connection including two pairs of secondary movable clips and adapted to' serially connect the primary clips, carriers for said primary clips and short-circuiting connection, a hand lever adapted to raise both carriers, and a trip lever adapted to lock the primary carrier in its raised position, means being provided for engaging said trip lever with the primary carrier by the carrier-raising movement of the hand lever, and for permitting depression of the secondary carrier while the primary carrier is raised.

4. A motor-starting switch, comprising a plurality of groups of contact clips, each group including two pairs of spaced-apart fixed clips, a fuse connecting a member of each pair with a member of the other pair, two pairs of primaryv movable clips adapted to serially connect the fixed clips, a shortcircuiting connection including two pairs of secondary movable clips and adapted to serially connect the primary clips, carriers for said primary clips and short-circuiting connection, a hand lever adapted to raise both carriers, a trip lever adapted to lock the primary carrier in its raised position, and a link pivoted to the hand lever and having a slot loosely receiving a. stud on the trip lever. the arrangement being such that the link is adapted to move the trip lever to its operative position and to permit the depression of the secondary carrier while the primary carrier is raised.

5. A motor-starting switch, comprising a plurality of groups of contact clips, each group including two pairs of spaced-apart fixed clips, a fuse connecting a member of each pair with a member of the other pair, two pairs of primary movable clips adapted to serially connect the fixed clips, a shortcircuiting connection including two pairs of secondary movable clips and adapted to serially connect the primary clips, carriers for said primary clips and short-circuiting connection, manually operable means for raising both Carriers, a trip lever adapted to lock the primary carrier in its raised position, and a solenoid having a vertical axis and arranged with the path of its armature coincident with a portion of the trip lever, so that the dropping of said armature displaces the trip lever and permits the primary carrier and it-s clips to drop.

6. A motor-starting switch, comprising a plurality of groups of contact clips, each group including two pairs of spaced-apart fixed clips, a fuse connecting a member of each pair withy a member of the other pair,

tion, and a solenoid having a Vverticalaxis Y and arranged with tliepath of its armature coincident with a portion of the trlp lever, sorthat the dropping of said armature displacesvthe trip lever and permits thepri-V mary carrier and its clips to drop, a buffer being provided to cushion the drop of :said carrier.A

7. A switch substantiallyv as speciedbyclaim l, said fixedv inclined clips beingfseparated by a Ytapering space, and said movi able clips being correspondingly inclined and adapted to move in a vertical path into and out of said space. L

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature. Y

HANS CHRTIANSEN, 

